Liwliwa Kind of Chill

Okay, so I went to the beach last February, when some coworkers and I went rafting in Real. But I didn’t really count that as a beach trip since I didn’t do any of the usual things I like doing at a beach: swimming, sunbathing, and reading on the shore. Finally though, I got to go the beach and actually spend time doing all these things. The first of many beach trips this summer!

We joked about the trip being a kind of couples retreat: there was me and the boyfriend, my friend Edel and his boyfriend Fir, and my coworkers Darlene and Edcel.

“I don’t wanna wait…for our lives to be over…” Lmao.

Isolated beach resort, camping, bonfire, young adults on vacation – doesn’t that just sound like the beginning of every slasher flick ever? Thank God none of us are white.

The drive from Manila to San Felipe, Zambales is a measly five-hour drive from Manila. My friends and I had our own car, but it’s super easy to commute there by bus. The little dirt path that leads to Liwliwa Beach and the surfing community that sprouted along it is just off the national highway, so it’s pretty easy to find. We checked in to our accommodation, pitched our tents, and spent the whole weekend doing nothing but swimming, sunbathing, playing volleyball, drinking, and taking pictures. It was, as the kids say, lit.

I don’t know what it is about Liwliwa, but I am absolutely feeling its vibes. It was just so chill, uncomplicated, and unpretentious. The crowd was like that too. Everyone just wanting to swim or surf, lie on the sand, maybe take a few photos, drink coffee or beer, and eat delicious food.

Check out my photos and try to tell me that Liwliwa isn’t a slice of paradise on earth.

The Liwliwa shoreline

Processed with VSCO with kk1 preset

Processed with VSCO with kk1 preset

“The sunsets there are the most beautiful in the world.”

Also, intense shoutout to our accommodations, Beach Haven Campsite Liwliwa! They’ve only been open four months, so there’s ongoing construction and the amenities are super basic, but their customer service is unbeatable. To be honest? When it comes to how much the staff took care of us, we got more than we paid for (their rates are hella cheap – perfect for the struggling millennial!). Message them at their Facebook page or text (0995) 448 7622.

The entrance to Beach Haven Campsite from the shorelineBeach Haven Campsite LiwliwaAll of Zambales’s beaches are known for having a strange but beautiful combination of pine trees and sand.

Definitely coming back to Liwliwa again this summer. I’ve fallen in love with this place, and it’s a love affair I’m going to indulge in over and over again!

Here, I write about the daily #adulting struggles, the thoughts that keep me up late at night, and balancing a full-time job with grad school. If you're into battling daily existential crises and/or getting your schadenfraude kicks by watching a twenty-something struggling through life, this is the place to be.

I'm 24, an ENTP, and a Virgo. I like dark lipstick, traveling and hiking, Spanish poetry, and getting into online fights about intersectional feminism.